Tigers spurred Chris on during road to recovery

A family holiday to Spain turned into a nightmare for Chris Goodrum after he was left fighting for his life as he battled legionnaire’s disease.

As soon as his family returned to Britain, Mr Goodrum was rushed to Pinderfields Hospital where he developed double pneumonia and was put on a life support machine.

Picture shows Wythenshaw Hospital where Abid Mahmood is fighting for life after a trainee doctor tried to unblock a piece of lamb stuck in his throat and tore a 4cm hole in his windpipe.'See Ross Parry copy RPYHOSPITAL'Relatives say Abid Mahmood popped to his local A&E seeking 'peace of mind' that the food would naturally dislodge from his windpipe which is unusually narrow.'But they said what should have been a routine check-up has turned into 'a living nightmare' with him facing a 50-50 chance of survival after contracting pneumonia.'Abid, 37, has contracting pneumonia due to a catalogue of errors allegedly made by staff at Wythenshawe Hospital, Manchester. ''rossparry.co.uk / Thomas Temple

Specialists from Wythenshawe Hospital in Manchester were called and he was given ECMO - extra corporeal membrane oxygenation - treatment to bring the 62-year-old back from the brink of death.

The unit is one of five in the country uses treatment which oxygenates the blood outside the body, providing support for the lungs and giving them the chance to recover.

Life-long Castleford Tigers fan Mr Goodrum was spurred on to make a full recovery by setting himself a goal to attend the club’s first game of the season, which he achieved.

And he now wants to raise funds for the unit which saved his life.

He said: “Without a doubt if they had not helped me I would not be here today.

“I knew something was seriously wrong when I could not remember the journey home. I was taken to hospital but my condition continued to deteriorate. It was quite traumatic for my family.”

Mr Goodrum and his family had been on holiday in Benalmadena, Spain, in October last year. But after returning home and falling ill, he was transferred from Pinderfields to Wythenshawe and was put into an induced coma. He spent a further eight days on ECMO treatment and was then moved Dewsbury and District Hospital in November where he started his recovery.

Mr Goodrum, of Freeston Drive, Normanton, said: “For the first three weeks I don’t remember anything. The hospital kept a diary for me so I knew what had happened.

“Once I came around I found that time frustrating as I couldn’t write things down to communicate due to my hands being so weak. I could also barely walk.”

For the next two months Mr Goodrum was recovering at home but still remained determined to see the Tigers’ first match of the season.

He said: “I only got my season ticket a week before the first match but that really kept my spirits up.

“I know this all would not have been possible without the work of the ECMO team at Wythenshawe.”

Mr Goodrum has since returned to meet and thank the specialists who saved his life.

Chris Goodrum wants to raise money for a specialist unit in Manchester that saved his life.

The charity night will take place at The Knottingley Club on Weeland Road on Friday, July 24 from 7.30pm.

There will be a quiz and an auction with prizes including match tickets for Bradford City, Huddersfield Giants and Sheffield United.